WE COULD QUITE EASILY LOSE THE NEXT FOUR!

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I wrote before: this was ''Watershed Weekend'' and now we have had the worst result we go into two difficult away games before facing Stoke at home then Sheff Utd away.

The way we played today and have played of late we could lose all four and find out just how close it is at the bottom as well as the top and in a season where an unusually low number of points will be needed to reach the play-offs so an unusually high number of points might be needed to survive.

It is not helping having Russell out but neither is it helping to go all expansive and light-weight when our players are neither good enough (Fotheringham), motivated enough (Huckerby) or experienced enough (Gibbs).

We have to go back to one winger or on Croft''s current form and pace - none; and grind out some results before we get into a spiral - and it could happen - does happen -and we have to see it coming.

We needed to win today for two reasons, one aspirational and one conservative. We lost, the aspiration is gone but the sense of safety first has to pre-dominate. We cannot afford to lose games.

I am spitting feathers tonight and may be ''doing an Arsene'' but the attitude, approach and lack of application from all except Doc, Ched, Matty and Dion today has infuriated me...................and oh, whoever is the goalkeeping coach these days...........buy Marshall a F%*&ing cap will you!

[Buncey 1]

We need those 5 points asap because after todays performance it''s a slippery slope that we''ve been down before. I''m glad I''m not the only one that saw today performance as nothing else but disgraceful, I fumed at half-time and I carefully took myself out of my N&P seat (I had to otherwise a couple of the kiddies parents might have jumped me) to go have a relax in Yellows before seeing the "high"lights and getting more mad again. We looked a sorry bunch today and have done for a while now. I''m not going to say I told you so but medling with a winning formula has cost us big style and I hope in my heart of hearts that there is no more suffering for us fans now and that it can''t get no worse than today.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="RUDOLPH HUCKER"]

I am spitting feathers tonight and may be ''doing an Arsene'' but the attitude, approach and lack of application from all except Doc, Ched, Matty and Dion today has infuriated me...................and oh, whoever is the goalkeeping coach these days...........buy Marshall a F%*&ing cap will you!

[/quote]

Yes, I do wonder who of the loan signings really has the appetite to roll their sleeves up and fight for it - apart from Mo, who appears to be out of favour at the moment.  Gibbs looks like a luxury we can''t afford at the moment, and I''m all for players learning the game but not at the expense of our club''s results.

Pattison was decent today when he came on, and we can hope that he drives the team forward.  I thought Semi was awful today, Hucks was the shadow of his previous glories and Blackpool fully deserved three points.  If we can''t put them away with today''s brand of dinosaur football, we may have an interesting end to the season.

[ricardo 8,034]

[quote user="RUDOLPH HUCKER"]

I wrote before: this was ''Watershed Weekend'' and now we have had the worst result we go into two difficult away games before facing Stoke at home then Sheff Utd away.

The way we played today and have played of late we could lose all four and find out just how close it is at the bottom as well as the top and in a season where an unusually low number of points will be needed to reach the play-offs so an unusually high number of points might be needed to survive.

It is not helping having Russell out but neither is it helping to go all expansive and light-weight when our players are neither good enough (Fotheringham), motivated enough (Huckerby) or experienced enough (Gibbs).

We have to go back to one winger or on Croft''s current form and pace - none; and grind out some results before we get into a spiral - and it could happen - does happen -and we have to see it coming.

We needed to win today for two reasons, one aspirational and one conservative. We lost, the aspiration is gone but the sense of safety first has to pre-dominate. We cannot afford to lose games.

I am spitting feathers tonight and may be ''doing an Arsene'' but the attitude, approach and lack of application from all except Doc, Ched, Matty and Dion today has infuriated me...................and oh, whoever is the goalkeeping coach these days...........buy Marshall a F%*&ing cap will you!

[/quote]

We could indeed but I don''t think we will.

We are disappointed about yesterday because a win would have kept the dream alive. However the reality is that we are not good enough to make the top six.

Everything should now be aimed at putting pressure on the board to finance the manager to have a real go next season.

GR has worked wonders in a very short time and we should not forget that.

[kdncfc 0]

I was thinking exactly the same thing on leaving the game yesterday, if we lose the next 2 games which is well possible with our current form and results go against us we could be as little as 3 points above the drop zone, that really could mean squeaky bum time at the Stoke game. In reality we should reach the Stoke game at least 5 points above the drop zone but with Sheffield Utd away on the Saturday we could really be back in it by then if we fail to pick up any points. I''m consoling myself with the fact that a couple of wins and a draw will be enough and we should manage that but if we get into to much of a downward spiral it could still prove difficult.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="RUDOLPH HUCKER"]

I wrote before: this was ''Watershed Weekend'' and now we have had the worst result we go into two difficult away games before facing Stoke at home then Sheff Utd away.

The way we played today and have played of late we could lose all four and find out just how close it is at the bottom as well as the top and in a season where an unusually low number of points will be needed to reach the play-offs so an unusually high number of points might be needed to survive.

It is not helping having Russell out but neither is it helping to go all expansive and light-weight when our players are neither good enough (Fotheringham), motivated enough (Huckerby) or experienced enough (Gibbs).

We have to go back to one winger or on Croft''s current form and pace - none; and grind out some results before we get into a spiral - and it could happen - does happen -and we have to see it coming.

We needed to win today for two reasons, one aspirational and one conservative. We lost, the aspiration is gone but the sense of safety first has to pre-dominate. We cannot afford to lose games.

I am spitting feathers tonight and may be ''doing an Arsene'' but the attitude, approach and lack of application from all except Doc, Ched, Matty and Dion today has infuriated me...................and oh, whoever is the goalkeeping coach these days...........buy Marshall a F%*&ing cap will you!

[/quote]

You''re right on this oh Rude one, if posters think we''re safe then they''re sadly mistaken.

[Matt Morriss 69]

what a ridiculously negative and glass half empty post.....

[corbs 0]

It looks like we are just going to play the season out now, as top six out of reach, with the young loanees still bedding in. I notice Time Out pre Watford report says this is a good time to play us! Sorry that few of our own youngsters will not get a look in, so not even that consolation. Not much to be pleased about post Blackpool except the fact that Glen has kept us up, and ready to fight another day. He really has done a good job so far. But Hucks clearly lacking his old fizz. As previously expressed, my own preference would be to build up the youth for the medium to long term, but short-termism is everything now, so I expect a feverish summer of transfer speculation and set-backs, with the predictable calls to ''release the funds''. Glen himself probably will pressurise the Board in this area, and I cannot blame him, as he is, as Delia is in her own way, someone who desperately wants to (and expects to) succeed. As a fan I am thankfully free from such ambitions, and I would possibly get more satisfaction from seeing a couple of local lads make it into the first team, than I would see us ''splash the cash'' on new ''star'' players.